Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION: President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) welcomes Prince Albert II of Monaco during their meeting in the Kremlin president's office in Moscow, 18 April 2006. Prince Albert II thanked Vladimir Putin for Russia's assistance in his North Pole trip. Prince Albert of Monaco reached the North Pole 16 April and issued a warning about the effects of global warming, calling on everyone to make an effort to combat it. AFP PHOTO / SERGEI CHIRIKOV (Photo credit should read SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/Getty Images)

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_*_*_tbhrc_*_*_'I think optimism is a choice one makes. For me, the cup is half full. Or maybe a quarter full. Or at least there is a cup.
Or there could be a cup…' (Princess Caroline of Hanover)

MOSCOW (AFP) - Prince Albert II of Monaco described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "great sportsman" who would have had "no problem" following him on his recent dog-team expedition to the North Pole.

Sure he could, he is a judo blackbelt and looks more fit then PA. And btw the way I look at it, I think even I could have held on to a dog sleigh for a few days. It is not like they walked and had to carry all their equipment themselves. PA got himself helicoptered out, once he was done. He didn't even stay with the team to make sure everyone got back ok. Which IMO is what you do when you do things properly. As usual he started sth, but did not really carry it out to the end. He leaves that for others to do. (or did they helicopter the dogs back too?) To me the credit of the success belongs solely to the dogs.

Michelle, I am still trying to figurer out what did Albert do so awful. Really, what dreadful crime did he comit? Does anybody know?

Thanks again tbhrc for the article.

Michelle, come on havn't you recieved the newsletter that Albert is the bad guy of the month? Just kidding , but I can truly understand you.... At first it was wrong that he was not in Monaco to rule his country and now this.... I'm a little confused right now...

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_*_*_tbhrc_*_*_'I think optimism is a choice one makes. For me, the cup is half full. Or maybe a quarter full. Or at least there is a cup.
Or there could be a cup…' (Princess Caroline of Hanover)

Sure he could, he is a judo blackbelt and looks more fit then PA. And btw the way I look at it, I think even I could have held on to a dog sleigh for a few days. It is not like they walked and had to carry all their equipment themselves. PA got himself helicoptered out, once he was done. He didn't even stay with the team to make sure everyone got back ok. Which IMO is what you do when you do things properly. As usual he started sth, but did not really carry it out to the end. He leaves that for others to do. (or did they helicopter the dogs back too?) To me the credit of the success belongs solely to the dogs.

Yep, thank you Paca. You have put it into (better) words than I could do.

Quote:

Michelle, I am still trying to figurer out what did Albert do so awful. Really, what dreadful crime did he comit? Does anybody know?

Can't help you there. At least not exactly. I know that for me, Albert evokes a lot of mixed and contradictory reactions. On the one hand, I have this idea of him as a cool dude, on the other my feelings lean towards.... well, the opposite. Paca's post voices one of the things that annoy me.

First of all I am only one person who voiced some criticism, so no need to address me with the pluralis majestatis, I'm only the queen of my own tiny castle

Secondly, yes PA can do things right: as soon as he lives up to the standards that he has set in his speech of JUly 12th. So far he hasn't and he is far from doing so. I have the firm believe that you teach others by living as an example. I can not forbid my children to do sth and then go ahead and do exactly what I have just ordered them not to do. Iwould lose my credibilty and the respect of my children. PA demanded in his speech a lot from himself and from others. Unfortunetely I don't see any exemplary life. OK he signed the Kyoto treaty and he went to the pole, he gave a few wheelchairs away and a drop of money here and there. But when it comes down to making big decissions like shutting down the incinery plant, sticking up to the real estate and building tycoons (all of them from the same family or inter related btw), he keeps giving in and chickening out. You might think it is great to gain more land to build more houses, but more houses means more cars, more people more children without proper daycare and space to play (except of course for the rich kids) etc etc. MC can not deal with it right now, how are things handled then and in the meantime? And what do we need more housing for? there ar plenty of empty appartments where the lights are on day and night and nobody lives there. Get rid of those people who just use MC as an address to save tax and you have plenty of nice appartments with a view to the sea.

I'm sorry that it bothers you that not everyone thinks everything the Grimaldis do is great and that not everyone likes their partners without even looking at their character until after they have foul played them or have proven total lack of it. To me I can respect someone and criticise them at the same time. I do not have to put anyone on a pedestal and adore them all day long. When I criticise someone, it is that I see so much more potential and I would wish that person to live up to its full potential, because I know that it would make them feel good about themselves besides the good that they can achieve for others and themselves. And it is very frustrating for me to see that PA seems to be standing in his own way to become the great person I believe he could truely be.

And frankly I don't see how this sort of criticism, which I would label productive criticsm, can be wrong. i think people like PA are so over exposed to people sucking up to them and telling them how great they are all day long, that they are quite greatful for this sort of criticism ( I had a boss, who was several levels above my direct boss. he was always happy to see me, joke around and talk to me - even take criticism - for the simple fact that I was the only one who would talk to him on an equal level, who would not be impressed by the simple fact that he was the boss of our department. We both respected each other, and I think he respected me even more when I declined his offer to help my career, if he didn't do the same for other collegues in the same situation. Company policy didn't allow that, so I stayed where I was with the others until I left for MC. And I still think that he was one of the best bosses that company has seen.)

I'm sorry that it bothers you that not everyone thinks everything the Grimaldis do is great and that not everyone likes their partners without even looking at their character until after they have foul played them or have proven total lack of it.To me I can respect someone and criticise them at the same time.

Thank you so much for saying that. It needed to be said if we can have a peaceful discussion on this forum. It's really frustrating when the same people make the same type of remarks when anybody say anything remotely critical of the Grimaldis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paca

I do not have to put anyone on a pedestal and adore them all day long. When I criticise someone, it is that I see so much more potential and I would wish that person to live up to its full potential, because I know that it would make them feel good about themselves besides the good that they can achieve for others and themselves. And it is very frustrating for me to see that PA seems to be standing in his own way to become the great person I believe he could truely be.

Thank you again. The more I read about the other royal families, the more I like the Grimaldis. I prefer quality over quantity. I think Prince Albert has an opportunity to make an impact on this world.

"And it is very frustrating for me to see that PA seems to be standing in his own way to become the great person I believe he could truely be." quote by Paca

That statement reflects my view of PA, too. He has sooo much potential -and yet shoots himself in the foot before he can be taken seriously. He is 48 years old.(Same age as Charlene's Mother --BTW) And his love life coverage is increasing---not decreasing--the photos of recent months are the most explicit taken of his dates--ever ...) Other normal men his age don't behave that way in pools in front of staff or at the Olympics ski contest bleachers....)
He started his life with an impeccable reputation for avoiding scandal--but is intent on making up for it as he approaches his 50's. He pontificates about the environment and yet people in his own direct care are suffering from a possibly carcinogenic incinerator.
My husband works in Washington (Can't mention what he does...)When I mention my love for Monaco (based upon my Pennsylvania upbringing-PG's home state) he laughs at them--- especially at PA.....
I just hope PA takes some reflection time and spends some quality time in Monaco and gets to know the people who depend on him......
He is travelling too much--I want to see pictures of him stopping in a coffee shop and visiting with old men--not just at a gift giving / Red Cross ceremony.
If he wants to date a woman who needs lots of press coverage,, I want to see wholesome pictures of him buying flowers for her, or strolling dignified through a park...
He is acting like a 13 yr. old boy who just became in charge of a candy factory.... He's excitedly running around before he gets to know the workers or feel the pulse of the current machinery.....

I am curious to know what type of elationship does Monaco have with Russia. Albert has been visiting many heads of states recently. He mentioned that he hoped to form a relationship with China and open a consul. does anyone know what he hopes to accomplish with Russia? Does Russia take a small nation like Monaco seriously? Here's an excerpt from an article last summer describing Rainer's effort to rid Monaco of the Russian mafia (among others). For a small nation as Monaco, was this a serious problem?

******************************The Independent (London)July 13, 2005, WednesdayInside The House Of Grimaldi: The Secret Life Of Prince Albert;
Monaco's Ruler Is Facing A Test Of His Leadership Now He Has Been

By: John Lichfield
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Monaco's tax-free status and position on the Riviera coast have made it a target for all kinds of ambitions and manoeuvres. Rainier defeated de facto take-over bids from President Charles de Gaulle, the late Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis and the Italian, and more recently, the Russian mafia. In recent weeks, Albert has been going out of his way to prove that he will be an effective prince. He has also been taking pains to demonstrate that he will be a different kind of ruler from his father. He has even implicitly " and almost explicitly " criticised his father's secretive and autocratic style of rule.

In an interview last week with Le Monde magazine, Albert said: 'The [old palace] system was very heavy. Because they knew that my father didn't like meeting people, and because they were afraid of his temper, his advisers overprotected him.'

Monaco has a large Russian community and it keeps growing. Also a lot of tourists from Russia come here - with lots of money. More and more shops hire people with Russian, Chinese and Japanese language skills ( not that they get paid better for it mind you). Before it was mainly English and Italian, but the Italians are moving away and don't seem to have as much money as they used to...

When Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met with Crown Prince of the Principality of Monaco Albert II in the Kremlin yesterday, the talk predictably turned to the North Pole tour of the prince.

The first royal person in the North Pole, Sovereign Prince of Monaco Albert II reached it in the dog-drawn sledges, after he warmed himself at Russia’s drifting polar station, Barneo, April 12, 2006. This northern success of the prince couldn’t be missed by Putin.

“For you, perhaps,” Putin told the prince in the Kremlin yesterday, “it is not the very special achievement. You are fond of sport. But you are the first head of the state who was in the North Pole.”

The president was obviously envious of Arctic achievements of Prince Albert II, still, he pulled himself up to say how he appreciated Monaco for the multifarious financial activities. Putin’s prime interest was cooperation of enforcement bodies of Monaco with Russia's special services. It is no secret that Russian business is aggressively buying real estate in this Mediterranean principality in an effort to benefit from the local tax laws.

The crown prince ignored enforcement cooperation yesterday. His favorite topic was the North Pole again. Albert II told Putin he could have been a member of his expedition.

“I’m sure you weren’t eating the tinned stew in vain,” Putin was sarcastic. “Attracting attention to problems of the North, problems of ecology,” the president said absolutely aware that the northern environment was hardly top concern of the royal expedition.